The previous administration in the capital would also have increased the green area during the reconstruction of the downtown square. The renovation on Blaha Lujza Square has become not greener, but more expensive.

For years, one of the busiest squares in Budapest has been renovated at a breakneck pace by the city administration marked by the name of Gergely Karácsony, which, in addition to the constant increase in the amount of the construction, does not give a meaningful answer to the reasons for the delay in the work, just as it does not give a meaningful answer to the shoddy implementation of the renovation of the square.

- On the one hand, the previous city administration really had plans to renovate Blaha Lujza tér, but we had to re-plan the renovation to a large extent because we didn't think it was green enough - this is how mayor Gergely Karácsony responded to our newspaper a few weeks ago, at his annual evaluation event, when we asked why the downtown square is slipping renovation works.

Comparing the visual plans of the previous management with the current one, it does not appear that István Tarlós did not think about increasing the green surfaces. In 2019, at a press conference, the former mayor announced that the reconstruction of the capital's Blaha Lujza tér is expected to be completed by the end of 2019 with a budget of around HUF two billion.

István Tarlós also announced at the time: HUF 1.8 billion was allocated in the capital budget for the VIII. for the reconstruction of the district's commercial and transport hub, and it is expected that the planning tasks will be completed this year. According to the plans, the service road and the parking lot on the square will be eliminated, the green area will be increased, the underpass will be renovated, and the traffic technical review of the surrounding streets will be carried out - the city administration stated at the time.

In 2021, the capital led by Gergely Karácsony already informed that, according to the new plans, among other things, nearly a hundred trees will be planted in the square, creating a park environment for those who want to sit down and relax.

Swivel chairs will be placed on the square, which will evoke the old National Theatre. In addition, there will be water games: the large fountain will shoot water from the pavement, as in Széll Kálmán tér, and its humidifying nozzles will make the microclimate of Blaha more pleasant.

As we have written about several times: the snail's pace of the renovation of Blaha Lujza tér also extends to the surrounding streets: the works may drag on until the end of the year. It can be seen that traffic disruptions have become permanent due to the upheaval that has lasted for several months. Gergely Karácsony, who was interviewed by our newspaper recently, expressed optimism about the renovation: according to him, "the reconstruction of the square will be completed in time."

Despite the fact that the works now cost four hundred million forints more than originally planned, the investment is carried out with a much narrower content.

As is known, the work started on July 12 last year: first, the slab structure of the underpass was insulated from above. At that time, Metropol drew attention to the fact that the results of the works were poor, as already in November, rainwater was collected in buckets in the underpass. At the beginning of April, the newspaper pointed out that the underpass is still soaking wet, water is dripping down the necks of passers-by, and the buckets have been found again.

In addition to all of this, we wrote in February that even the dirt bags that were brought to the square in November to plant the trees are still intact.

It seems that the whole project will be postponed until the end of the year, and with it, the chaos in the traffic organization has become complete as a result of the one-way streets. The traffic disruptions became permanent, to which Mayor Gergely Karácsony proposed a striking solution: "motorists should get out and walk".

It is even possible that the square will be renamed Blama Lujza Square!

Source: Hungarian Nation

Featured image: Metropol